The present invention relates to clips for surgical procedures. Surgical clips are routinely used to secure tissue together during or after many differing surgical procedures. In most instances, a surgical procedure will result in at least one incision that requires closing. In addition, damaged or broken blood vessels, ligaments, bone, tendons, skin and other tissues may also require a means for securing. Surgical clips, preferably, are used to perform the function of securing these and other tissues together.
Surgical clips are known in the prior art and are available in a wide variety of shapes and styles. Generally, the clips comprise one or two pieces. In the case of one-piece clips, the clip will typically fold and lock onto itself while holding tissue in the fold. Similarly, two-piece clips typically secure tissue by holding tissue between the clips when they are brought together. In addition to clips, other devices are known in the prior art that are used to secure tissue together. These devices include clamps, staples, sutures, etc.
Surgical clips generally secure tissue together in the hope that the tissue will then fuse together over a period. In order to facilitate this process, it is often necessary to administer a therapeutic agent to assist with the repair of the tissue. The therapeutic agent may include sclerosing agents or pharmacological drugs.
Sclerosing agents are believed to irritate tissue, which in turn encourages the tissue to heal. Using a surgical clip in conjunction with a sclerosing agent may facilitate healing. Presently, a therapeutic agent needs to be delivered independently of using surgical clips. For example, a physician can administer a therapeutic agent to a desired area before or after securing tissue together. Surgical clips that possess the ability to deliver a sclerosing agent to tissue in need of being secured together could improve these processes and offer enhanced convenience.
Additionally, it may be necessary to administer a pharmacological agent. In general, it may be desired to administer a drug that can promote hemostasis. These drugs may promote healing by increasing adhesion and activation of platelets, increasing fibrin formation, or increasing vascular contraction. Typically, a physician may administer a pharmacological agent to an area of interest before or after securing tissue together. By combining the ability to secure tissue and to deliver a pharmacological drug, the process of clipping tissue may be more convenient and the over-all treatment improved.
Further, many modem surgical techniques are designed to be as non-invasive as possible. For these surgical techniques, specialized equipment is used that minimizes the size of an incision. For example, specialized clips and clipping techniques are required. Specialized clips are known that enable the joining of tissue when accessibility is limited. For example, clips are known that can be inserted into an incision in order to join ends of tissue below an incision. However, the delivery of a therapeutic agent would still need to take place independently of using the clip. The delivery of a therapeutic agent would, therefore, require additional specialized equipment. A need, therefore, exists for surgical clips sized for specialized medical procedures that can deliver therapeutic agents such as a sclerosing agent or pharmacological drug in conjunction with medical procedures.